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Nipah virus--a potential agent of bioterrorism?

Lam SK

Antiviral Res, 2003 Jan;57(1-2):113-9.
PMID: 12615307

Nipah virus, a newly emerging deadly paramyxovirus isolated during a large outbreak of viral encephalitis in Malaysia, has many of the physical attributes to serve as a potential agent of bioterrorism. The outbreak caused widespread panic and fear because of its high mortality and the inability to control the disease initially. There were considerable social disruptions and tremendous economic loss to an important pig-rearing industry. This highly virulent virus, believed to be introduced into pig farms by fruit bats, spread easily among pigs and was transmitted to humans who came into close contact with infected animals. From pigs, the virus was also transmitted to other animals such as dogs, cats, and horses. The Nipah virus has the potential to be considered an agent of bioterrorism.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Enterovirus 71 infection in Australian expatriate children following an outbreak in Malaysia

Craig ME, Vale T, Robertson P, Rawlinson WD, Gould B

J Paediatr Child Health, 1999 Feb;35(1):107-8.
PMID: 10234649
Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/statistics & numerical data*
New virus fingered in Malaysian epidemic

Enserink M

Science, 1999 Apr 16;284(5413):407, 409-10.
PMID: 10232977 DOI: 10.1126/science.284.5413.407
Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Adenovirus type 21-associated acute flaccid paralysis during an outbreak of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in Sarawak, Malaysia

Ooi MH, Wong SC, Clear D, Perera D, Krishnan S, Preston T, et al.

Clin Infect Dis, 2003 Mar 1;36(5):550-9.
PMID: 12594634

We report the virological and clinical features of 8 children who presented with adenovirus-associated acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) during an epidemic of enterovirus type 71 (EV71)-associated hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) in Sarawak, Malaysia, in 1997. Neutralization tests and phylogenetic analysis revealed adenovirus type 21 (Ad21), although DNA restriction digests suggested that this virus was different from the prototype Ad21. Four children had upper-limb monoparesis, 2 had lower-limb monoparesis (one of whom had changes in the anterior spinal cord noted on magnetic resonance imaging), and 2 had flaccid paraparesis. At follow-up, 4 children were noted to have made full recoveries and 3 had residual flaccid weakness and wasting. Neurophysiological investigation revealed a mixture of axonal and demyelinating features in motor and sensory nerves, with denervation. These findings suggest that Ad21 might cause AFP by anterior horn cell damage or neuropathy of the brachial or lumbosacral plexus. The occurrence of these unusual adenovirus infections during an outbreak of EV71-associated HFMD suggests that an interaction between the 2 viruses may have occurred.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Epidemiology of Trypanosoma evansi infection in crossbred dairy cattle in Malaysia

Cheah TS, Sani RA, Chandrawathani P, Bahri S, Dahlan I

Trop Anim Health Prod, 1999 Feb;31(1):25-31.
PMID: 10399814

An investigation into the epidemiology of Trypansoma evansi infection in crossbred dairy cattle was conducted for a period of 12 months on a dairy cattle farm in Penninsular Malaysia. The prevalence of parasitaemia was highest in lactating animals (13.4%), followed by those in the dry herd (8.8%), late pregnant animals (8.1%), early pregnant animals (4.7%), calves (0.3%) and heifers (0.2%). The prevalence of antigenaemia was highest in the lactating animals (54.7%), followed by that in dry animals (53.7%), heifers (51.1%), late pregnant animals (47.7%), early pregnant animals (46.5%) and calves (24.2%).

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/veterinary
Malaysia culls pigs as Nipah virus strikes again

Ahmad K

Lancet, 2000 Jul 15;356(9225):230.
PMID: 10963210
Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control
Inter-country consultation

Reid E

AIDS Health Promot Exch, 1993.
PMID: 12287485
Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Isolation and characterization of dengue viruses serotype 1 from an epidemic in northern Queensland, Australia

Blok J, Kay BH, Hall RA, Gorman BM

Arch Virol, 1988;100(3-4):213-20.
PMID: 2840873

Thirteen strains of dengue type 1 were isolated from the lymphocyte fractions of 69 acute phase blood samples collected at Thursday Island Hospital during 1981 and 1982. One further strain of type 1 was isolated from 7 blood samples despatched by air from Cairns Base Hospital during 1982. Four of these Australian isolates representing the beginning, middle, and end of the epidemic were examined by restriction enzyme mapping and were found to be identical for the nine restriction enzymes used. The maps differed from those derived from two Malaysian dengue type 1 strains isolated during the epidemic of 1981-82 in that country. This suggests reliance on serological typing to establish global circulation patterns of epidemic dengue is insufficient and that more specific methods such as genome mapping are useful.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
An outbreak of aflatoxicosis and boric acid poisoning in Malaysia: a clinicopathological study

Chao TC, Maxwell SM, Wong SY

J Pathol, 1991 Jul;164(3):225-33.
PMID: 1890547

An outbreak of food poisoning resulting in 13 deaths in children occurred in Malaysia during the Chinese Festival of the Nine-Emperor Gods in 1988. The offending food was a Chinese noodle called 'Loh See Fun' (LSF). The source was traced to a factory where a banned food preservative was added to make the LSF. The food poisoning was attributable to aflatoxins and boric acid. The clinical features included vomiting, pyrexia, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, anorexia, giddiness, seizures, and eventual coma. Initially, many presented with a Reye-like syndrome. Eleven post-mortem examinations were performed. The pathological findings included extensive coagulative necrosis of the liver with proliferative 'ductal/ductular metaplasia of the hepatocytes'. Giant cell formation, central vein sclerosis, bile stasis, and steatosis were also noted. There was presence of acute tubular necrosis, superficial upper gastrointestinal erosions, and ensuing encephalopathy. The eventual cause of death is acute hepatic and renal failure.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against formalin-inactivated Nipah virus isolated from the lungs of a pig

Imada T, Abdul Rahman MA, Kashiwazaki Y, Tanimura N, Syed Hassan S, Jamaluddin A

J Vet Med Sci, 2004 Jan;66(1):81-3.
PMID: 14960818

Eight clones of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) to Nipah virus (NV) were produced against formalin-inactivated NV antigens. They reacted positive by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test, and one of them also demonstrated virus neutralizing activity. They were classified into six different types based on their biological properties. These Mabs will be useful for immunodiagnosis of NV infections in animals and further research studies involving the genomes and proteins of NV.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/veterinary
NDV subgenotype VII(L) is currently circulating in commercial broiler farms of Iran, 2017-2018

Molouki A, Mehrabadi MHF, Bashashati M, Akhijahani MM, Lim SHE, Hajloo SA

Trop Anim Health Prod, 2019 Jun;51(5):1247-1252.
PMID: 30689157 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-019-01817-1

BACKGROUND: Based on our previous work, it was discovered that some Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates from backyard poultry between 2011 and 2013 in Iran formed a new separate cluster when phylogenetic analysis based on the complete F gene sequence was carried out. The novel cluster was designated subgenotype VII(L) and published.
AIM: In the current study, for further validation, we initiated a comprehensive epidemiological study to identify the dominant NDV genotype(s) circulating within the country. Collection of samples was executed between October 2017 and February 2018 from 108 commercial broiler farms which reported clinical signs of respiratory disease in their broilers.
RESULT: We report that 38 of the farms (> 35%) tested positive for NDV. The complete F gene sequences of seven of the isolates are shown as representative sequences in this study. According to the phylogenetic tree constructed, the recent broiler farm isolates clustered into the newly designated cluster VII(L) together with the older Iranian backyard poultry isolates in our previous work. All the sequences shared the same virulence-associated F cleavage site of 112RRQKR↓F117.
CONCLUSION: Our phylogenetic analysis suggested that the NDV subgenotype VII(L) may have been derived from subgenotype VIId, and contrary to popular belief, subgenotype VIId may not be the dominant subgenotype in Iran. Tracking of the subgenotype on BLAST suggested that the NDV subgenotype VII(L), although previously unidentified, may have been circulating in this region as an endemic virus for at least a decade. Other NDV genotypes, however, have also been reported in Iran in recent years. Hence, ongoing study is aimed at determining the exact dominant NDV genotypes and subgenotypes in the country. This will be crucial in effective mitigation of outbreaks in Iranian broiler farms.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/veterinary
Identification of enterovirus 71 isolates from an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) with fatal cases of encephalomyelitis in Malaysia

AbuBakar S, Chee HY, Al-Kobaisi MF, Xiaoshan J, Chua KB, Lam SK

Virus Res, 1999 May;61(1):1-9.
PMID: 10426204

Thirteen enterovirus 71 (EV71) isolates were obtained from both fatal and non-fatal infections of patients seen in Peninsula Malaysia and in Sarawak during an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Malaysia in 1997, with incidences of fatal brainstem encephalomyelitis. The isolates were identified using immunofluorescence staining, neutralization assays, and partial sequencing of the 5' untranslated regions (UTR). Assessment of the potential genetic relationships of the isolates using the partial 5'UTR sequences suggested clustering of the isolates into at least two main clusters. Isolates from Peninsula Malaysia were found in both clusters whereas Sarawak-derived isolates clustered only in cluster II. Isolates derived from fatal infections, however, occurred in both clusters and no distinctive nucleotide sequences could be attributed to the fatal isolates. Examination of the nucleotide sequences revealed at least 13 nucleotide positions in all the isolates which differ completely from the previously reported EV71 5'UTR sequences. In addition, at least 11 nucleotide position differences within the 5'UTR were noted which differentiated cluster I from cluster II. Predicted secondary RNA structures drawn using the nucleotide sequences also suggested differences between isolates from the two clusters. These findings suggest the presence of at least two potentially virulent EV71 co-circulating in Malaysia during the 1997 HFMD outbreak.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Enterovirus 71 from fatal and nonfatal cases of hand, foot and mouth disease epidemics in Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan in 1997-1998

Shimizu H, Utama A, Yoshii K, Yoshida H, Yoneyama T, Sinniah M, et al.

Jpn J Infect Dis, 1999 Feb;52(1):12-5.
PMID: 10808253

Enterovirus 71 (EV71), one of the major causative agents for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), is sometimes associated with severe central nervous system diseases. In 1997, in Malaysia and Japan, and in 1998 in Taiwan, there were HFMD epidemics involving sudden deaths among young children, and EV71 was isolated from the HFMD patients, including the fatal cases. The nucleotide sequences of each EV71 isolate were determined and compared by phylogenetical analysis. EV71 strains from previously reported epidemics belonged to genotype A-1, while those from recent epidemics could be divided into two genotypes, A-2 and B. In Malaysia, genotype A-2 was more prevalent, while in Japan and Taiwan, B genotype was more prevalent. Two isolates from fatal cases in Malaysia and one isolate from a fatal case in Japan were genotype A-2. However, all isolates from three fatal cases in Taiwan belonged to genotype B. The severity of the HFMD did not link directly to certain genotypes of EV71.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Fulltext Cholera outbreak by Sea Gypsies in Sabah, Malaysia: A challenge in North Borneo

Jikal M, Riduan T, Aarifin R, Jeffree MS, Ahmed K

Int J Infect Dis, 2019 Jun;83:83-85.
PMID: 30986543 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2019.04.008

OBJECTIVES: In this study we investigated an outbreak of Vibrio cholera O1 Ogawa serotype, occurred during December 2014 in Kudat district, situated in Sabah state of the Malaysian part of Borneo.
METHODS: Active case detection and contact tracing were done at respective localities by house to house survey. Passive case detection was done among acute gastroenteritis patients attended at various health facilities. To determine the source, samples from food, water and environment were taken. A case control study was also done to determine the risk factors.
RESULTS: A total of 44 symptomatic and 34 asymptomatic cases from 19 localities were investigated. 39 cases were detected through passive case detection. Median age of cases was 23 years. All cases belonged to serogroup O1 and Ogawa serotype. The epidemiological investigation of time, place, and person identified that V. cholerae cross-transmission might have occurred in two fish markets and the fish-loading port. Circumstantial evidences indicated that cholera was possibly transmitted through contaminated sea foods.
CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the life-style of Sea Gypsies is a challenge in cholera control; therefore vaccination might be an effective way to mitigate cholera in an outbreak prone area like Kudat.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Islam and harm reduction

Kamarulzaman A, Saifuddeen SM

Int J Drug Policy, 2010 Mar;21(2):115-8.
PMID: 20006483 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2009.11.003

Although drugs are haram and therefore prohibited in Islam, illicit drug use is widespread in many Islamic countries throughout the world. In the last several years increased prevalence of this problem has been observed in many of these countries which has in turn led to increasing injecting drug use driven HIV/AIDS epidemic across the Islamic world. Whilst some countries have recently responded to the threat through the implementation of harm reduction programmes, many others have been slow to respond. In Islam, The Quran and the Prophetic traditions or the Sunnah are the central sources of references for the laws and principles that guide the Muslims' way of life and by which policies and guidelines for responses including that of contemporary social and health problems can be derived. The preservation and protection of the dignity of man, and steering mankind away from harm and destruction are central to the teachings of Islam. When viewed through the Islamic principles of the preservation and protection of the faith, life, intellect, progeny and wealth, harm reduction programmes are permissible and in fact provide a practical solution to a problem that could result in far greater damage to the society at large if left unaddressed.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control*
Updates on chikungunya epidemiology, clinical disease, and diagnostics

Sam IC, Kümmerer BM, Chan YF, Roques P, Drosten C, AbuBakar S

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 2015 Apr;15(4):223-30.
PMID: 25897809 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2014.1680

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an Aedes-borne alphavirus, historically found in Africa and Asia, where it caused sporadic outbreaks. In 2004, CHIKV reemerged in East Africa and spread globally to cause epidemics, including, for the first time, autochthonous transmission in Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. The epidemic strains were of the East/Central/South African genotype. Strains of the Asian genotype of CHIKV continued to cause outbreaks in Asia and spread to Oceania and, in 2013, to the Americas. Acute disease, mainly comprising fever, rash, and arthralgia, was previously regarded as self-limiting; however, there is growing evidence of severe but rare manifestations, such as neurological disease. Furthermore, CHIKV appears to cause a significant burden of long-term morbidity due to persistent arthralgia. Diagnostic assays have advanced greatly in recent years, although there remains a need for simple, accurate, and affordable tests for the developing countries where CHIKV is most prevalent. This review focuses on recent important work on the epidemiology, clinical disease and diagnostics of CHIKV.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Fulltext Molecular phylogenetics of a recently isolated goat pox virus from Vietnam

Pham TH, Rahaman NYA, Lila MAM, Lai HLT, Nguyen LT, Van Nguyen G, et al.

BMC Vet Res, 2021 Mar 08;17(1):115.
PMID: 33685458 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02777-1

BACKGROUND: After a decade of silence, an outbreak of the contagious and Asian endemic disease, goat pox re-emerged in North Vietnam affecting more than 1800 heads with a mortality rate of 6.5%. The inevitable impact of goat pox on hide quality, breeding, chevon and milk production has resulted in a significant economic losses to the developing goat industry of Vietnam. In the act of establishing an effective control of this devastating disease, tracing the source of re-emergence via a phylogenetic study was carried out to reveal their genetic relatedness. Either skin scab or papule from the six affected provinces were collected, cultured into Vero cells followed by restricted enzyme digestion of targeted P32 gene DNA encoding. The P32 gene was then cloned and transformed into E.coli competent cells for further sequencing.
RESULTS: The isolated sequence is deposited into GenBank under Accession No. MN317561/VNUAGTP1. The phylogenetic tree revealed high similarity of nucleotide and amino acid sequences to references goat pox strains accounting for 99.6 and 99.3, respectively. The Vietnamese strain is clustered together with currently circulating goat pox virus in China, India and Pakistan which suggested the origin of South China.
CONCLUSIONS: This Vietnam isolate is clustered together with other Asian goat pox strains indicating the dissemination of a common goat pox virus within this continent.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/veterinary
Summary of avian influenza activity in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, 2002-2006

Alexander DJ

Avian Dis, 2007 Mar;51(1 Suppl):161-6.
PMID: 17494548

Between December 2003 and January 2004 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 infections of poultry were declared in China, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. In 2004 an outbreak was reported in Malaysia. In 2005 H5N1 outbreaks were recorded in poultry in Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine, and virus was isolated from swans in Croatia. In 2004 HPAI H5N1 virus was isolated from smuggled eagles detected at the Brussels Airport and in 2005 imported caged birds held in quarantine in England. In 2006 HPAI was reported in poultry in Iraq, India, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Israel in Asia; Albania, France, and Sweden in Europe; and Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger in Africa; as well as in wild birds in some 24 countries across Asia and Europe. In 2003, over 25,000,000 birds were slaughtered because of 241 outbreaks of HPAI caused by virus of H7N7 subtype in the Netherlands. The virus spread into Belgium (eight outbreaks) and Germany (one outbreak). HPAI H5N2 virus was responsible for outbreaks in ostriches in South Africa during 2005. HPAI H7N3 virus was isolated in Pakistan in 2004. Low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) H5 or H7 viruses were isolated from poultry in Italy (H7N3 2002-2003; H5N2 2005), The Netherlands (H7N3 2002), France (H5N2 2003), Denmark (H5N7 2003), Taiwan (H5N2 2004), and Japan (H5N2 2005). Many isolations of LPAI viruses of other subtypes were reported from domestic and wild birds. Infections with H9N2 subtype viruses have been widespread across Asia during 2002-06.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/veterinary
Diversity of influenza A viruses retrieved from respiratory disease outbreaks and subclinically infected herds in Spain (2017-2019)

Sosa Portugal S, Cortey M, Tello M, Casanovas C, Mesonero-Escuredo S, Barrabés S, et al.

Transbound Emerg Dis, 2021 Mar;68(2):519-530.
PMID: 32619306 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13709

The present study was aimed to assess the diversity of influenza A viruses (IAV) circulating in pig farms in the Iberian Peninsula. The study included two different situations: farms suffering respiratory disease outbreaks compatible with IAV (n = 211) and randomly selected farms without overt respiratory disease (n = 19). Initially, the presence of IAV and lineage determination was assessed by qRT-PCR using nasal swabs. IAV was confirmed in 145 outbreaks (68.7%), mostly in nurseries (53/145; 36.5%). Subtyping by RT-qPCR was possible in 94 of those cases being H1avN2hu (33.6%), H1avN1av (24.3%) and H1huN2hu (18.7%), the most common lineages. H3huN2hu and H1pdmN1pdm represented 7.5% and 6.5% of the cases, respectively. As for the randomly selected farms, 15/19 (78.9%) were positive for IAV. Again, the virus was mostly found in nurseries and H1avN2hu was the predominant lineage. Virus isolation in MDCK cells was attempted from positive cases. Sixty of the isolates were fully sequenced with Illumina MiSeq®. Within those 60 isolates, the most frequent genotypes had internal genes of avian origin, and these were D (19/60; 31.7%) and A (11/60; 18.3%), H1avN2hu and H1avN1av, respectively. In addition, seven previously unreported genotypes were identified. In two samples, more than one H or N were found and it was not possible to precisely establish their genotypes. A great diversity was observed in the phylogenetic analysis. Notably, four H3 sequences clustered with human isolates from 2004-05 (Malaysia and Denmark) that were considered uncommon in pigs. Overall, this study indicates that IAV is a very common agent in respiratory disease outbreaks in Spanish pig farms. The genetic diversity of this virus is continuously expanding with clear changes in the predominant subtypes and lineages in relatively short periods of time. The current genotyping scheme has to be enlarged to include the new genotypes that could be found in the future.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/veterinary*
Fulltext Molecular epidemiology demonstrates that imported and local strains circulated during the 2014 dengue outbreak in Guangzhou, China

Li G, Pan P, He Q, Kong X, Wu K, Zhang W, et al.

Virol Sin, 2017 Feb;32(1):63-72.
PMID: 28120220 DOI: 10.1007/s12250-016-3872-8

The dengue virus (DENV) is a vital global public health issue. The 2014 dengue epidemic in Guangzhou, China, caused approximately 40,000 cases of infection and five deaths. We carried out a comprehensive investigation aimed at identifying the transmission sources in this dengue epidemic. To analyze the phylogenetics of the 2014 dengue strains, the envelope (E) gene sequences from 17 viral strains isolated from 168 dengue patient serum samples were sequenced and a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed. All 17 strains were serotype I strains, including 8 genotype I and 9 genotype V strains. Additionally, 6 genotype I strains that were probably introduced to China from Thailand before 2009 were widely transmitted in the 2013 and 2014 epidemics, and they continued to circulate until 2015, with one affinis strain being found in Singapore. The other 2 genotype I strains were introduced from the Malaya Peninsula in 2014. The transmission source of the 9 genotype V strains was from Malaysia in 2014. DENVs of different serotypes and genotypes co-circulated in the 2014 dengue outbreak in Guangzhou. Moreover, not only had DENV been imported to Guangzhou, but it had also been gradually exported, as the viruses exhibited an enzootic transmission cycle in Guangzhou.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*

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